Can video be effective for B2B brands? 

Video content has become more prevalent in recent times, and during the pandemic, we saw a higher number of brands move online to stay afloat. But can video be as effective for B2B as it is in the B2C industry? As consumers typically spend time watching videos for personal gain, is there a way for video marketing to align to suit a B2B brand? Within this post, GottaBe! will look at the impact of video marketing in 2022 and discover how effective it can be for B2B marketers. 

Why should I utilise video marketing?

Every brand can use video marketing, but the content shared must be unique and tailored to suit the specific product or service and audience. While the channel has mainly been used by brands with a particular product rather than service over recent years, as we head into 2022, we see more brands get on board with video marketing. 

Video gives consumers a deeper insight into the product or service offering and with three-quarters of executives now watching work-related videos every week (according to a recent study by Forbes). It is the perfect opportunity for your brand to create a video marketing strategy. 

How can video benefit B2B?

Users are spending x3 more time on videos than static images, which is set to increase. With more and more consumers coming from the younger generations, the attention span decreases. The average attention span of a Millennial is 12 seconds but it’s only 8 seconds for Generation Z. Video allows you to capture your audience’s attention and share critical information in this period, which hopefully will engage them enough to continue watching or intrigue them enough for them to continue through the marketing funnel. 

As statistics show, Gen-Z accounts for 40% of all consumers and estimations suggest that by 2026, they will account for 82 million of all consumers. It is not just B2C that are affected by Gen Z’s consumer habits. As the generation reaches working age, their need for fast paces technology must be met, and this is how B2B will benefit most. By integrating video marketing into your brand, you will have time to adapt and find what best suits your product and audience before a large portion of the working population becomes reliant on this as a channel. 

There are many ways video benefits B2B, but here are the top 5!

• Enhance audience retention rate
• Support SEO, blogging, social media, and other marketing efforts
• Reach clients at different points in the B2B marketing funnel
• Personalised, so your brand is set to stand out 
• Practical, affordable, and easy to make yourself!

What channels can I share video marketing?

Video is highly versatile, so your brand can share it across a number of channels to engage consumers. Whether you are selling B2B or B2C, your brand is marketing to someone, and that person, whether a single consumer or a team, will want to know all the facts before making a decision. 

Video is incredibly useful throughout your entire sales funnel to generate leads and drive conversions as it can be created to meet any need. Research shows that viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text. Engagingly delivering information makes you more likely to see a return on investment as consumers enter the marketing funnel. This is where your brand needs to continue to utilise the multiple channels on offer. 

Social media sites in 2022 favour video, with some sites such as TikTok seeing success as a video only sharing platform. Since the platforms favour videos, your brand is likely to see a higher engagement level as the videos are boosted to the top of an algorithm and shared through discovery pages to new consumers. 

“In 2019, LinkedIn emerged as the most successful channel for B2B businesses, with an overwhelming 87% of LinkedIn video marketers describing it as an effective channel. While  YouTube is the world's most popular channel for video, Facebook is more effective for B2B marketers, with 85% seeing success following video campaigns.” – Wyzowl report: State of video marketing 2020.

Video can also be optimised on your website, emails, blogs and paid ads. It should be integrated at every touchpoint to build trust. But don’t just take our word for it; 96% of B2B organisations use video in some capacity in their marketing campaigns, of which 73% report positive results to their ROI, according to a survey conducted by ReelSEO.

What is the difference between B2B and B2C video content?

The content shared, of course, is different as the products on offer are suited to the consumer, but the idea is the same. Video allows your brand to bring testimonials, reviews, products, and services to life and adds more dimensions that give consumers a better understanding and more confidence in the purchase.  

While B2C video content is typically fun, light-hearted and entertaining, we tend to see a more methodological approach with B2B video marketing as the audience are looking for different things. Both industries must make a long-lasting impression on their audience through video, which adds value to the consumer. 

Whether B2B or B2C, video content is not to be missed with its ability to create awareness, educate customers, generate leads, and drive more sales.

How to ensure my video marketing is effective in B2B?

To ensure your video marketing is effective, your brand must think about your strategy and how you are engaging consumers at each touchpoint. Your video strategy should be carefully planned to maximise the reach, and with its versatility, you can achieve many things through the power of video marketing. 

For example, when engaging B2B, your brand should create a sales video to give the human touch. This will then lead them to a video case study on your site that provides the consumer insight into how the product or service was applied in a real-life scenario. Then the consumer may lead to the specific service or product page where they can find a detailed video sharing all aspects of the product/service answering all of their questions. All the steps within the marketing funnel can be aided by video to give the consumer a comprehensive view that enables them to make confident decisions. When applied in a B2B setting, this can speed up a process as it removes the need for multiple people to review the same information in text; they can view several videos and gain more information at ease.  Join the 81% of video marketers who say that video has directly helped increase sales and start your video marketing today! 

All the data proves that video is highly effective for B2B. According to Elite Content Marketer, over 66% of people prefer to watch a short video to learn about a product or service; it is a no brainer. If your B2B brand needs help creating, uploading, or editing video to your marketing touchpoints, then GottaBe! can help. We have expert videographers, web designers and content creators who know how to reach your audience. Give the team a call to discover your video marketing strategy for 2022!